There are many guidelines and techniques for preventing loads from shifting while being transported by flatbed trucks. If they are followed, these instructions do prevent accidents by showing the proper use of tie-down lashings, ideal location of load on a truck bed, and the use of dunnage to clamp the load more effectively. However, there is little guidance and apparatus available to prevent the load from shifting and possibly falling from the vehicle during offloading at a destination. Such accidents can cause serious injury and even death.
In this invention several terms, such as “dunnage”, “dunnage timbers” “braces” and “stakes”, which may be common in the trucking industry, will be used. Dunnage refers to any material which is not part of an actual load to be transported placed under or around a load as an aid in lashing or tying a load properly to prevent shifting. In practice, lengths of wood (i.e.—dunnage timbers) are placed between the truck bed and the load; this both protects the truck bed from wear and elevates the load for easy handling by lift trucks. Stakes, which are typically lengths of wood such as 2 by 4's, are used vertically in stake pockets (i.e.—form fitting recesses) sometimes available at the sides of flat bed trucks to support to contain loads at the side.